Moonrise by Anne Stuart Page B

enough incentive?”
    “You’re smart, Carew, but you’re arrogant. Look at it this way—if anything happens to me, or to Annie, then everything’s going toblow up in your face. It’ll make a stink so bad you won’t ever get rid of it.”
    “It looks like that might happen anyway,” he said in a sulky voice.
    Annie moved down another step, crouching behind the railing, her hands tight with anger.
    “It doesn’t have to. I know they’re regrouping. I can put a stop to it.”
    “How? And don’t give me any crap about instincts—I don’t believe in ’em.”
    “And that’s why you made a lousy field operative.”
    “If he had a protégé, then the logical choice would be you.”
    “It would. But it wasn’t.” She could hear the icy drawl in his voice. “We’re going to find out who he is, Carew. And I’ll take care of him for you. I’ll clean up the mess you’re trying to ignore.”
    “You’re crazy. Send Sutherland’s daughter back to D.C. and we’ll work something out. We can protect her, see that she’s safe—”
    “She stays with me. It’s the only way I can keep her safe. Besides, I don’t think she’s going to give me any choice in the matter. Are you, Annie?” He pitched his voice toward the stairs, and Annie paused, clutching the banister.
    “Jesus,” Carew swore, whirling around. “You mean the bitch has been listening?”
    Annie descended the stairs slowly, coming into the light. Carew was just as she remembered him, surprisingly attractive for such a narrow little soul. She’d always assumed he was a decade younger than James, but now she wasn’t so sure. Beneath the carefully tanned skin and the contact-lensed eyes lurked an old, old man.
    “You remember Carew, don’t you, Annie?” James drawled with perfect civility.
    Carew was a consummate actor. But then, she was learning they all were. All the men who’d surrounded her, lied to her, kept her safe in her cocooned little world of order and normalcy. “This has been a difficult time for you, Miss Sutherland,” he said, moving swiftly forward and taking her limp hand in his. His grip was firm, warm, against her own icy skin. “I don’t know what you think may have happened, but be assured that we’ll do anything we can to help.”
    She pulled her hand away from him. It took all her effort not to plaster a polite smile on her face, not to murmur the appropriate, reassuring answer. She’d been trained as well, she thought. By a master.
    “Can you think of any reason why I should believe you, Mr. Carew?” she said coolly. “Lies are more your style, aren’t they?”
    He didn’t flinch, just kept that same concernedexpression on his face. As if he hadn’t, a few short moments ago, suggested that James “handle” her. “I don’t know what you think you know, Miss Sutherland. I don’t know what James has told you, or what you’ve figured out on your own, but chances are whatever you’re thinking, it’s only part of the truth. If lies have been told, they’ve been told to protect you. Your father was involved in a highly classified government project. The fewer people who share information about such projects, the safer it is all around.”
    “Not very safe for my father. Who killed him?”
    Carew didn’t even flinch. “I’m sorry, Miss Sutherland.”
    “And why? Why was he killed? Who placed the order? Was it you?”
    Carew shared a glance with McKinley. James was leaning against the mantel, watching them in the gathering dusk, and Annie hadn’t the faintest idea what was going on behind his impassive gaze.
    “You’ll have to ask McKinley about that,” Carew said with a faint sneer. “He’s the man with the answers.”
    The phrase rang in her head, like an unpleasant carillon, one that would sooner or later make her crazy.
    But Carew had already dismissed her.“You’ve got your bargain, Mack,” he said. “Hands off. I can’t promise you forever. Let’s say one week. And then it’s out of